New details are surfacing in the case of a Port Charlotte doctor who was arrested in Sarasota County last week for allegedly sexually assaulting a child.More >>

New details are surfacing in the case of a Port Charlotte doctor who was arrested in Sarasota County last week for allegedly sexually assaulting a child.More >>

Viewers are asking why Port Charlotte Dr. Alejandro Gruneiro is still allowed to practice medicine after being accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old. We found out though his license is still active, at least one investigation is ongoing.

"Dr. Gruneiro is a fine upstanding member of the community," says patient Myron Schoen.

Dr. Gruneiro has been arrested and charged with sexual battery involving a 5-year-old.

"I was astounded because that's not the person that I know," says Schoen.

Patients of Dr. Alejandro Gruneiro met with him Monday at a weight loss support group meeting, just hours after their doctor bonded out of the Sarasota County Jail.

Gruneiro's still accepting patients and his license is active with the Florida Department of Health.

In a statement, Press Secretary Jessica Hammonds said:

"We start initiating an investigation when we acknowledge there is an arrest made of practitioners. Now we'll work closely with the State's Law enforcement. If there is an issue, the State Surgeon General would decide on what to do with the license."

Meanwhile, Fawcett Marketing Director Michele Ritter-Ellwood said, "No patients, visitors or staff of Fawcett Memorial Hospital were involved and the alleged activities did not occur on or near Fawcett's campus."

So while the hospital reviews the situation, Gruneiro will maintain his rights at Fawcett in addition to practicing at Peace River and Charlotte Regional. Some patients are sticking by their doctor.

"I believe that he'll be exonerated once he tells his side of the story," says Schoen.

We take all of the elements of our stories seriously. Please tell us about any errors you find in our stories. If you're looking to comment on a story you've seen, email that to comments@nbc-2.com.More >>

We take all of the elements of our stories seriously. Please tell us about any errors you find. Copy the page address above before clicking on this link to fill out the form. If you're looking to comment on a story you've seen or read, email that to comments@nbc-2.com.More >>

Most Popular Stories

2018-05-24T18:42:02Z2018-05-24T18:42:02ZWill it rain all Memorial Day Weekend? A tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico has an 80 percent chance of development over the next five days, meaning you may need to make some indoor plans.

2018-05-24T16:56:41Z2018-05-24T16:56:41ZA pickup truck driver ran into and seriously injured a 13-year-old boy on a bicycle on Thursday morning, closing down several lanes of a busy Cape Coral intersection shortly before the morning commute.

The 2018 hurricane season is shaping up to be "near- or above-normal" -- though not to the degree seen last year, when 17 named storms formed and three major hurricanes struck US soil -- the National Oceanic and...

2018-05-23T13:01:40Z2018-05-23T13:01:39ZHorses come in all shapes, colors and sizes. From the Falabella miniature horse, to the tall British Shire. And just like horses that hold records for being the fastest, there's also a record set for the tallest and the shortest horse.

2018-05-24T14:31:30Z2018-05-24T14:31:30ZPresident Donald Trump will not meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month for what would have been a historic diplomatic summit, he announced in a letter to Kim released by the White House Thursday morning.